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The Bushwhacker Volume1, No. 2 (Fall 2020) The Bushwhacker (Kurz & Allison – Library of Congress) I want to thank each of you for renewing your membership in the Roundtable, even though the COVID-19 pandemic has hampered our usual operations. Your continued support is appreciated. I think our Zoom meetings have worked reasonably well, and I hope you think so too. It is impossible to predict when they may end or what a return to a “normal” campaign will look like. Above is a lithograph from Kurz & Allison of the Battle of Franklin, which occurred 156 years ago this month (November 30, 1864). Missouri troops fought on both sides. One hundred thirty Missourians from the Confederate Army are buried in the McGavock Cemetery near that city. And you may recall that in May 2019 – it’s only been about 18 months ago but it seems like an eternity now – we had David Fraley to speak about the battle. I will try not to bombard you with emails about current developments. You can find information about what’s going on from Facebook and our website, https://civilwarstlmo.org/. I will try to keep those sites up to date. The National Civil War Roundtable Congress continues to make available excellent speakers on a variety of topics that you can access through Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube. You can find further information about the lecture series and general Roundtable information of interest at: http://www.cwrtcongress.org/. Once again, my thanks to John Harris and Curt Wittbracht for providing articles, the concluding parts which appear here. I also want to thank Drew Volume1, No. 2 (Fall 2020) Klein for answering the call to submit items for The Bushwhacker. His book review also appears below. The next issue will have a special treat. Bob Shultz will share with us an excerpt from his forthcoming work on Missouri’s Civil War in 1861 – this will be the story of the capture of the Liberty Arsenal in April 1861. I’m sure you will enjoy it. If you have a family history, Civil War-related article, family photographs (I think we can reproduce those here) that you would be willing to share, please send it to [email protected]. Thanks. — Jim Erwin — My Civil War Ancestors Part II By John Harris Private, Company B 4th Cavalry Regiment, 7th Division, Missouri State Guard (March 1, 1862 – May 19, 1862) After his original enlistment in the Missouri State Guard was up, William Henry Baker enlisted in Colonel William O. Coleman’s 4th Cavalry Regiment, 7th Division, Missouri State Guard. Its officers were Colonel Coleman, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Darden (of Phelps County), and Major Silas Headrick (of Dent County). Silas Headrick was elected Major on April 15, 1862. One company was largely from Dent County. Its officers were Captain Henry Pace, 1st Lieutenant William Pace, and 2nd Lieutenant John Organ. Coleman’s Regiment fought battles at Spring River, Arkansas (March 13, 1862); Batesville, Arkansas (May 3, 1862); and “near Rolla,” Missouri (May 20, 1862). Baker was sworn into service as a private in Company B of Coleman’s Regiment by Captain Henry Pace on March 1, 1862, for a term of 12 months. In the confession taken when he was captured on May 19, 1862, he says that when he was recruited at home by Captains Pace and Organ, he could not go with them because his family was sick. He was granted a furlough. Baker tried to join the command around May 1st but was unable to get through. On Saturday (presumably May 3rd) Hiram Masters came in and on Sunday (presumably May 4th) they met Coleman and one of his men on the Little Piney at William Arthur’s (his father-in-law). The next morning there were nine men in all. Baker and Coleman stayed at W. D. Melton’s (his brother-in-law) where they were joined by Bob and Bill Dodson (Dotson). The next morning they went down to the Rolla-Houston road. A supply train passed and shot at Coleman but missed. On Monday morning (May 19th) they attacked the train. He was stationed with another man at a house where they waited until their patience wore out. When they went to the train, they found Coleman gone. They rode on 2 Volume1, No. 2 (Fall 2020) but ran into cavalry and were captured. They were taken to Rolla. [According to the Daily Missouri Republican, May 20 and 21, 1862, the 1st Illinois and 6th Missouri Cavalry, commanded by Lt. Col. Samuel Wood were sent after Coleman when his men captured the wagon train, burned it and took 86 mules – ed.] Confession of William Baker, Guerrilla 3 Volume1, No. 2 (Fall 2020) In his confession, Baker admitted that they raided a supply train along the Rolla-Houston road on Monday, May 19, 1862, when he was captured. He stated that he did not know of Coleman’s “guerilla authority.” He was subsequently taken from Rolla and ultimately to Alton Prison. 4 Volume1, No. 2 (Fall 2020) While at Alton Prison, Baker wrote two letters home to his wife, Keziah. The first letter dated July 20, 1862, states that he had been unwell awhile but now was in good health and that he had been taken prisoner on the 20th of May but was now at Alton Prison. He also said that he had written one letter home since he left but had not received a reply. He said that M. W. Province arrived at the prison last night and had a letter he got from home stating that you were all well. The second letter dated August 10, 1862, Baker said that he was still alive and well and in as good health at this time as he ever was, for which blessing he feels thankful to the “great donor of all good.” He also said that he received a letter from Keziah the day before, giving him much delight to hear that she and the children were all well. Keziah wrote that she would come to see him at Alton in 6 weeks but he advised her against that since he expected to be in Dixie before then. She also said that she would bring him clothing but he said that he has plenty of clothing and is being well treated as a prisoner. Keziah asked in her letter about the wheat sowing. He advised that she sow all she could on the “old place” and not trouble raising corn. He also said that MW Province was not well today. On September 23, 1862, he was sent from Alton Prison to Vicksburg, Mississippi for exchange. 1st Lieutenant, Company B 8th Battalion, Missouri Infantry (Musser’s) (November 17, 1862 – August 22, 1863) On November 17, 1862, Baker enlisted for 3 years, or for the duration of the war, at Camp Horsehead on Horsehead Creek in Johnson County, Arkansas in Company B of the 8th (Musser’s) Battalion Missouri Infantry. He was appointed Lieutenant the same day. Musser’s Battalion arrived in Little Rock on January 18, 1863. On February 18, 1863, the unit landed at White’s Bluff, Arkansas aboard the steamer GRANITE STATE. After a brief stay, the battalion again boarded the GRANITE STATE and on February 21, 1863, landed and camped at Fort Pleasant, located atop Day’s Bluff (near Pine Bluff), Arkansas. William Henry Baker was at Fort Pleasant on March 20, 1863, according to a requisition for camp equipage included in his compiled service record. On June 12, 1863 Musser’s Battalion joined a mixed command under Colonel John B. Clark, Jr. that moved to Desha County, Arkansas for operations against federal shipping on the Mississippi River. This mixed command attacked a convoy of three transports and a tin-clad gunboat on June 22, 1863, severely damaging the gunboat and disabling two transports. A similar attack was launched on June 28, 1863 from Gaines Landing with unknown results. Hearing that a large federal column had landed nearby to engage them the command returned to Fort Pleasant. While at Fort Pleasant, Lt. Baker and about 30 men were temporarily attached to Captain Eathan Allen Pinnell, Company D, 8th Missouri Infantry Regiment, from July 4-13, 1863. The unit returned to Little Rock on July 27, 1863, to oppose the advance of Major General Frederick Steele’s troops toward 5 Volume1, No. 2 (Fall 2020) the capital city. They assisted in building entrenchments north of the Arkansas River, which the troops occupied until the Confederates abandoned the city on September 10th with little fighting and marched to Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Lt. Baker was reported as deceased in the appointment of his successor in Special Order 66 dated August 22, 1863. The Matson Slave Case By Curt Wittbracht Perhaps no single incident better illustrates the ambivalence of Lincoln’s position on the slavery question than his efforts in 1847 to recover five runaway slaves from free Illinois on behalf of their Kentucky owner, Robert Matson. In the past, Lincoln’s biographers, when they have noted the Matson case at all, have called it “strange” or “controversial.” Yet few have attached genuine significance to this court room battle for the freedom of one woman and four of her children. The Illinois historian Charles Coleman thought that Lincoln took the case “as a matter of professional obligation only,” and argued it solely on the legal technicalities involved, avoiding any question of “equity or justice.” It is likely that the Matson case will now be the subject of a renewed interest. This is partly because of the polemical assaults on Lincoln’s reputation as a champion of liberty that have recently been published.
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